Welcome to the cKotch.Com blog. I’m Christopher Kotcher, and this is Life and Times. Time to share some life lessons and experiences which guide my writing.
A Beautiful Bond
Friendship is one of the deepest wellsprings for inspiration. The bond between two souls leads to new experiences and insights.
And one of the greatest friendships would be the one between man and beast, particularly the bond shared with a dog.
Dogs bring something out in us. We care for another being and learn what it is like to be loved beyond measure. We feel that much more inclined to be our best selves.
It’s a connection which has influenced many of my stories.
The most direct example would be “Legend of the Sun, Moon, and Dog” from my short story collection Five Strange Stories. The story is meant to be an origin story for the dog-human bond. You can read more on the inspiration for that story here.
However, my relationship with dogs also indirectly inspires various elements of my work.
Lessons gained on friendship and compassion influence everything from the bond between Cubey and Liney to the self-giving nature of my hero character in “Fighting Through the Deepest Darkness.”
Considering all this, I wish to discuss my relationship with my latest pup, Beauty. She is the dog which I have been the most responsible for. She is the one I have had the biggest hand in raising.
First, let’s begin with a prologue. Beauty’s story can really only be understood if a brief history of the Boxer House is given.
A Brief History of the Boxer House
The Boxer House would be my house growing up.
My mom’s family had already had a long love affair with boxer dogs long before my birth. That trend has continued through today.
At one time, we had five dogs all at once.
My parents and I had the proud, motherly Cinci Cuddles. Half her name came from my mom’s hometown. Half came from how sweet and cuddly she was when I first held her.
My grandparents had the whiny yet lovable Baby Duchess. She was the last in a long line of boxers to have the name.
Uncle Rusty had three. These would be the pink-nosed Rosy, the constant barker Honey, and the hole-digging rabble-rouser Sugar.
Those dogs were always going around our houses and hanging out with each other. My house was the most common gathering place.
Those dogs would line the whole kitchen floor. They would fill my parents’ bed. Their backyard dogpiles on each other were legendary.
There really is nothing quite like watching five boxer dogs go nuts in one backyard.
Unfortunately, those days couldn’t last forever. Gradually, the five dwindled. Only Cinci and Duchy would be left.
My mom saw these two old dogs lazing around the house. She could tell they needed a good spark of life in those days.
Coincidentally, one of her co-workers had family that raised boxers. Another litter had just been born.
This would be where Beauty comes in.
The Puppy Days
College was getting ruff. My first semester was really barking at my heels.
(I know those puns are painful, but that’s what makes them great. I’m proud of them, and they’re staying.)
In all seriousness, classes were proving tougher than expected, family responsibilities persisted, and my first college crush ended badly. Word of advice, never text your feelings.
One fine November day, my mom picked me up from my classes. She wanted to take me somewhere to surprise me. The place turns out to be a house.
We entered that house and found a litter of puppies laying in a kiddy pool. Next thing I know, I was handed one of the dogs.
She was a little boxer with plenty of puppy wrinkles on her head. Her main markings were a hook of white fur on her chest, some white boots on her back feet, and a little fur mohawk on her neck.
Holding that puppy, looking into her eyes for the first time, erased everything wrong with the world. Then she buried her face in my beard and gave me one of the best laughs of my life.
My mom had already been there once before. This was when she gave the precious pup the most fitting name any dog has ever had.
Beauty came home that Thanksgiving. Cinci and Baby Duchess were overjoyed to see their new little sister. Those tales didn’t stop wagging for days.
Every moment of Cinci and Duchy’s daily routines became about showing the Beauty the ropes of the Boxer House. They even taught her the best ways to lay around on the couch.
Having Beauty really did make Cinci and Duchy’s last stretch something grand for the both of them. Cinci could act motherly again, and Duchy felt what it was like to not be the youngest dog in the house.
As for me, I had to adjust my college life created up to that point. Puppies demand a lot of extra attention learning proper routines.
For days without classes, sleeping in was gone. I needed to get up with Beauty the moment my mom left for work, typically around five or six in the morning.
Studying for a few hours in a row with little interruption was no longer guaranteed. I needed to be prepared to take breaks at any point during work.
Teething would prove another concern. I needed to keep all my school supplies out of Beauty’s reach to avoid little teeth marks in them. Although, this just led to those teeth marks appearing in my hand instead.
It would take a while for Beauty and I to hit our stride. Once we did, the real fun began.
The Good Life
Picture the following routine.
Wake up. Let the dog out. Read a book outside in between rounds of fetch. Head inside to cool down. Do some work or play some games. Head outside for one more round of fetch. Go to bed.
With some minor seasonal adjustment, this became mine and Beauty’s daily pattern. This was the life I led any day I didn’t have a college class.
For the most part, Beauty has kept her inner puppy going strong. She can be outside for hours, running, barking, and rolling around.
Our games of fetch became quite the show.
Beauty got a new type of ball called a Jolly Ball. It’s a big plastic ball with a smaller plastic ball rolling around inside it. The thing drives her nuts in all the right ways.
Training started to take effect. I’ve been able to spice up our games of fetch with various little tricks.
Sometimes, I’ll run with the Jolly Ball so the pup will follow me.
Other times, I’ll test her restraint by telling her to sit, setting the ball on the ground, and turning my back. She doesn’t go for it until I either throw it or say “Okay.”
As you can imagine, these bits have been quite the bit at holidays and get-togethers.
Beauty became quite the loyal companion in these days. She remained so ever the more leading into this present day.
This really is everything the rougher early puppy days were building up to. I thank all the moments of teething and early wakeups for leading us here.
Of course, things couldn’t remain exactly this way forever.
My Scent Will Always Be with You
Student teaching presented the first major hiccup to mine and Beauty’s routine.
College classes really only kept us apart for a few hours every few days. Now I would be away from my precious pup for a whole school day every single day.
The poor girl probably couldn’t have gotten through the ordeal if I didn’t leave my pajamas on the couch for her every day.
Those pajamas held my scent from wearing them all night. They gave me a sense of presence in the house even when I was gone. Beauty would lay on them like she was protecting the greatest treasure in the world.
Eventually, things took another turn.
I started working as a substitute teacher and a resident adviser at a boarding school. This would eventually lead to becoming a fulltime teacher for a time there as well.
I had to live there for work.
Now those pajamas and old clothes would need to last Beauty a whole week. Anytime she head my voice over the phone she would go absolutely nuts in the background.
Being away from my pup was one of the hardest marks of those days. Going from having dogs around me all my life to being totally alone most nights was a major adjustment.
All in all, those boarding school days gave me a lot, but they also took away a lot. Gradually, I just wanted to be back home and be with my dog.
Thankfully, my current job allows me to live at home. Beauty still needs to go a few hours without me most days, but I’m able to come home and throw the ball around every night.
Seeing that dog run around, having her lay against me on the couch, these really are the things which show me how good I’ve got it these days
Discussion Time!
That friendship with Beauty still goes strong today. Honestly, I’d say the bond with the five is still going strong too, even after their passing.
Having Beauty in my life really is one of the things which keeps me going. Her undying loyalty and friendship are examples to all my characters, person or animal, shape or spirit.
Do you have any similar bonds to share? Doesn’t have to be a human-dog bond. Could be with a cat, bird, pig, goat, T-Rex. Even another person!
Kotcher’s Call to Action
If you like my content and wish to see more, you could check out my books Five Strange Stories and Good Stuff: 50 Poems from Youth on Amazon. They are enrolled in the Kindle Matchbook program, so anyone who buys the paperbacks can also get the eBooks for free.
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